4 Days in Lima, Peru
We spent a total of 9 days in Peru between Lima and Cusco, which gave us two completely different regions of the country. If you’re curious about visiting Machu Picchu, check out our 5 days in Cusco guide.
If you’re like me and love trying different cuisines — and getting your historical culture fix along the way — there’s no better place than Peru.
I got my chance in June 2023, when I had enough points forfree round-trip tickets to Lima for two people. I also had a dream of visiting Machu Picchu, and added a local flight to Cusco to the itinerary. And both cities lived up to the hype.
Day 1 Explore Baranco
A few of our friends had visited Peru or were from there, and highly recommended the neighborhood of Baranco. We loved the neighborhood and artsy vibe. Plus you’ve got the beach right in front of you! We stayed in two different locations during our time there and have a hard time picking a favorite: Hotel B and Villa Baranco.
- Start your trip with some Peruvian coffee at Cicolos Cafe or Coleccionista Coffee.
- Take a short stroll to the Puente de los Suspiros admiring the street art along the way.
- Grab lunch at many of the local eateries, as Lima is a foodie capital. Isolina has a great take on traditional food, but be warned, the portions are large!
- Do a little shopping at many of the local boutiques, like Dedalo or Artesanias Las Pallas for decor and art. El Closet de Mi Hermana or Uno are great for clothes.
- To further explore the area, we did a walking food tour. We highly recommend this one by Exquisito Peru, which hit all the classics and left us very very full.
Day 2: Check out the City Center
- We did a Free Walking Tour of Lima in the City Center to help us orient ourselves to the area.
- The tour ended near the Catacombs of San Francisco, which has many preserved human bones under its floors.
- We’re always looking for the best foodie experiences, we dined at Maido. It is Japanese-Peruvian cuisine — known as Nikkei. This was our favorite restaurant of the trip.
Day 3: Museums and More
- Spend your day emersed in art, whether it’s modern Mac Lima or ancient Larco Museum. Baranco also has tons of art galleries.
- Participate in Lonche, or Peruvian tea time.
- Astrid y Gaston is worth the reservation alone for its exquisite restaurant decor and scenery. The food is excellent, and gives you a chance to try refined cuy (guinea pig) if you dare.
Day 4: Fine Dining
- You can’t stop by Lima without eating at Central, which was named the Best Restaurant in the World by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. This was the best dining experience of the trip because it took you through the various altitudes of Peru. While the food wasn’t as tasty as Maido, it was definitely a unique experience that felt like a tour of the country. Be prepared to spend at least 3.5 hours during the meal — and book this first… it’s a hard reservation to get.
- You’re going to need to walk off that meal. Use this time to explore the upscale neighborhood Miraflores, which is traditionally where most people stay.
- We returned to Baranco and had dinner at Siete, which was Italian-Peruvian and had great candlelight vibes.
